Shower device

ABSTRACT

A shower unit is proposed that consists of a flush-mounted box and a cover housing. The flush-mounted box is used to establish a connection between a domestic installation and an attachment block arranged at a particular position in the flush-mounted box. This attachment block includes an outlet for hot water and an outlet for cold water. 
     Sanitary fittings, operating elements and sprinklers are installed in the cover housing, which may be designed in the form of a panel, and these are all connected with a water duct attached to the cover housing. The cover housing can also feature lamps. The water duct, which leads to all water outlets, sprinklers, etc. features a water inlet for cold water and a water inlet for hot water. Two hoses are used to form a connection between the attachment device of the flush-mounted box and the water duct, and these two hoses are connected with the flush-mounted box shortly before final assembly. Assembly and installation of all sanitary fitting parts can be performed in the factory and their functionality can be tested there.

The invention relates to a shower unit wherein one part of the showerunit is mounted on or in a wall and establishes connections with adomestic installation.

A multifunctional sanitary fitting is already known, wherein aflush-mounted box is set into a wall. The flush-mounted box establishesa connection with a domestic installation and contains a sanitary mixingvalve. The flush-mounted box also includes attachment devices forshowers. A cover including side showers, shower heads and other showersis connected to the flush-mounted box. Multiple line connections arerequired between the devices of the flush-mounted box and the devices ofthe cover (EP 1 589 154).

The task of the invention is to develop a shower device with multipleshowers in such a way that its assembly can be simplified.

To solve this task, the invention proposes a shower unit with thecharacteristics specified in Claim 1. Further embodiments based on theinvention are the subject matter of sub-claims.

The shower unit is used in the following manner. The flush-mounted boxis installed at the installation site or during renovation in a cavityin the wall or via a cut-out in an installation wall. This establishesthe line connection with the domestic installation. The attachmentdevice now includes two outlets, namely one outlet that is connectedwith the hot water source in the domestic installation and one outletthat is connected with the cold water source. These two outlets can alsobe equipped with stoppers until final assembly.

All actual sanitary fittings, side showers, attachments for handshowers, shower heads etc. are mounted in or on the cover housing andconnected with the water duct. This can be performed entirely in thefactory, where it is also possible to conduct a subsequent functionaltest. The cover housing is then transported to the location where theflush-mounted box has already been installed. Next, the outlets of theattachment device of the flush-mounted box are connected with the inletsof the water duct in the cover housing. At the same time, the coverhousing is installed mechanically, for example connected with theflush-mounted box. The shower unit is then ready for operation.

A plug connection, for example, can be used to form the connectionbetween the attachment device and the water duct. It especially makessense, however, when there is a line connection using hoses, wherein thehoses can also be attached to the water duct of the cover housing in thefactory. During installation, they then only need to be connected withthe attachment device of the flush-mounted box.

For attachment of the cover housing, it can be provided that the coverhousing is attached to the wall outside the flush-mounted box. Itespecially makes sense, however, and this is suggested for furtherembodiments of the invention, to attach the cover housing to theflush-mounted box and namely in such a way, for example, that it can befitted within the flush-mounted box. This can be performed in such away, for instance, that a hook-like projection in the lower area of thecover housing is fitted into a corresponding counter-opening or anothercounter-element of the flush-mounted box, followed by establishment ofthe line connection, and then by inclination of the cover housing in theupper area onto the flush-mounted box, where it is then attached.Attachment can be performed through an opening in the exterior of thecover housing, which is then closed again. This can be, for example, aslit into which a holder for a hand shower can be inserted.

In accordance with the invention, it can also be provided in furtherembodiments that the cover housing is designed as a flat panel, at leastin the edge area, and lying on the edge of the flush-mounted box. Thiscan be provided in such a way that the fitting parts attached to thecover housing extend into the flush-mounted box.

It is also possible, however, to design the cover housing as a box, sothat the front side of the cover housing extends into the room.

If the cover housing contains not only showers and operating elementsfor showers, but also includes lamps, for example, then in accordancewith the invention, it can also be provided that an electric lineconnection is established between the flush-mounted box and the coverhousing.

Additional characteristics, details and advantages of the inventionarise from the claims and the summary, for which the wording of bothsections is established through reference to the contents of thedescription, to the following description of preferred embodiments, andto the drawings. In the drawings, the following are shown:

FIG. 1 Front view of a shower unit in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 Longitudinal section approximately along the II-II line in FIG.1;

FIG. 3 A specification on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 4 The lower area of the shower device on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 5 A depiction corresponding to FIG. 4 with a slightly modifiedembodiment;

FIG. 6 A depiction corresponding to FIG. 2 in the upper area of theshower device.

FIG. 1 shows the front view of a shower unit as a user can see it in ashower cabinet or shower cell. This front side has the form of a panel 1that features vertical side edges 2, a horizontal upper edge 3 and ahorizontal lower edge 4. On the front side, a holder 7 for a shower head8 is fed through a vertical slit 6 in an inwardly offset field 5 lyingapproximately opposite the panel 1. In the further area, there are sideshowers 9, as well as an operating element for a switching valve 10 andan adjustment device 12 for the temperature.

FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section along the II-II line in FIG. 1,according to the same scale. The aforementioned fittings present on thefront side of the shower device are connected with each other via lineson the back side of the panel 1 and of the field 5, wherein these linesform a water duct. It is also possible to see from FIG. 2 that thefittings, namely the temperature adjustment device 12 and the switchingvalve 10, are mounted on the unit formed by the panel 1 and the field 5.This combination of the panel 1 and the somewhat raised field 5 forms acover housing that includes all parts of the shower unit that arerequired for showering.

The shower unit also includes a flush-mounted box 13, which forms alevel-lying flange 14 in its edge area. In the assembled state, thecover housing lies up against this flange 14. The flush-mounted boxincludes connection devices 15 for the domestic installation, which arenot portrayed or explained in detail in the simplified depiction of FIG.2. Hoses that lead from the water duct to an attachment unit are used toconnect the water duct of the cover housing 1,5 with the attachmentdevices in the flush-mounted box 13.

Devices pictured in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are used to connect the coverhousing, which consists of the panel 1 and the raised field 5, with theflush-mounted box. Now to FIG. 4.

On the inner side of the back wall of the flush-mounted box 13, a holder20 is designed that features a flat front wall 21 running parallel tothe back wall. A screw 22 is screwed into this front wall 21 of theholder 20, with a back side 25 that is also flat beneath its screw head.The position of the front side 24 of the holder element 23 can beadjusted using the screw 22 and counter nuts 26 screwed onto the screwshaft. In this way it is possible to compensate to some extent for aflush-mounted box of varying installation depth.

A clasp 27 is screwed onto the inner side of the cover housing 1,5 andthis clasp extends downwards towards the back and features one free end.In the pictured state, the cover house 1,5 rests with the clasp 27 onthe screw 22. Due to its elastic design, the clasp 27 plays off thefront panel 1 of the cover housing against the front side 24 of theholder element 23.

In the upper area of the flush-mounted box, see FIG. 3, a similar holder20 is arranged, which also features a front wall 21 with a threadedhole. A screw 28 is screwed into this threaded hole which lies with itsscrew head in the slit 6, which is used to guide the holder 7 for theshower head 8. The cover housing is attached to the flush-mounted box 13through attachment of the cover housing the clasp 27 in the lower areaand using the screw 28 in the upper area.

The subdivision of the shower unit into a cover housing with all devicesrequired for showering and a flush-mounted box for connection to thedomestic installation and for attachment on the wall makes it possibleto assemble the shower devices with their showering function entirely inthe factory and to test their functioning there. On the premises, it isthen only necessary to connect the cover housing to the flush-mountedbox via two hoses and then to secure the cover housing on theflush-mounted box.

Instead of attaching the cover housing to the flush-mounted box, it isalso possible to attach the cover housing to the wall itself outside theflush-mounted box, or using devices that extend through theflush-mounted box into the wall located behind it. In this case, aswell, there is the advantage that the shower's functioning can bechecked and tested in the factory.

The depiction in FIG. 5 is only slightly different from the depiction inFIG. 4, so that the same reference indicators are used and thedescription only refers to those parts which are different with regardto the embodiment in FIG. 4. The holder element 23 features a cavity, atleast in the upper area, that is designed between the front side 24 andthe back side 25 of the holder element 23 and is bordered on both sidesby a shoulder. This cavity can especially be a circumferential, evengroove that features a level floor in a cross-section view. This grooveor indentation floor supports the part of the front side onto which theclasp 27 is screwed. The clasp 27 therefore only serves to position thepanel 1 against the front side of the holder element 23, while theburden of the massive part of the panel is supported.

FIG. 6 shows that another additional shower head 38 can be includedabove the moveable shower head 8 that is attached to the holder 7 in theslit 6, and that this additional shower head is also attached to thepanel 1 and supplied with water via the water duct 11.

1. Shower unit with a flush-mounted box that features an attachmentdevice connected to a domestic installation and including a hot-wateroutlet and a cold-water outlet, a cover housing that features a waterduct leading from a hot-water inlet and a cold-water inlet and sanitaryfittings with associated operating elements, connected with the waterduct, a line connection medium between the outlets of the flush-mountedbox and the inlets of the water duct as well as a mechanical connectionmedium for connecting the flush-mounted box with the cover housing. 2.Shower unit according to claim 1, wherein the line connection mediumfeatures one hose for the hot water and one hose for the cold water. 3.Shower unit according to claim 1, wherein the cover housing can befitted in the flush-mounted box.
 4. Shower unit according to claim 1,wherein the cover housing covers the flush-mounted box on all sides. 5.Shower unit according to claim 1, wherein the cover housing is designedas a panel lying evenly on the edge of the flush-mounted box.
 6. Showerunit according to claim 1, wherein the fitting parts attached to/in thecover housing extend into the flush-mounted box.
 7. Shower unitaccording to claim 1 with an electric line connection for electricconsumers arranged in/on the cover housing.